My vet here in Phoenix is a pleasure to deal with and she's simply wonderful with my cats. It's a relatively new practice--right now, just her and a vet tech. If I stiff her on any part of the bill--even if it's her error--that's going to come back to bite me. I want to do whatever I can to SUPPORT her, to keep her in the community! As it is, I don't know how she keeps things going; spending as much time as she does with me and my cats for what I'm paying (which is, I think, a fair price) wouldn't seem to be a workable business model.

Sometimes the bills are steep (e.g., recent ultrasound), but I consider it an investment--in my cats' health, in her practice (and livelihood), and in the community (where, by the way, she actively promotes TNR). Hard to see who wins if I cheat her.

Peter J. Wolf
www.voxfelina.com

Hmmmmmmm... I worked in a vet's front office and part of my job was to see that everything on the chart had a charge on it. This was before the practice was computerized and we still had those cumbersome paper charts. We had three vets and some were better than others about writing treatment notes. However, if the note was on the chart, it was up to me or whoever checked the client out after the visit to put the correct charge on the chart. I don't recall ever having to call a client and say "we missed a charge - sorry" I don't recall a vet ever adding a treatment note after the fact either. Maybe the total disregard for accurate work, lack of training, and the nonexistant work ethic in your staff has something to do with it?

Jobro is being extremely harsh, but I have to agree that missed charges should NOT be routine. Yes, mistakes will happen occasionally--but it should be OCCASIONAL, not something that happens frequently enough that it's considered routine, and budgeting for it means raising your fees signficantly.

Billing should be accurate enough and efficient enough that letting the occasional $10 or $20 error go as a courtesy to the client shouldn't be an issue.

But just as a rough rule of thumb, I tend to assume that anything involving the phrase "sent out to the lab" is costly enough that letting it slide is not an option. In that situation, if I didn't catch it myself and get it corrected, I'd expect to receive an embarrassed, apologetic phone call from the vet's office staff, about the missed charge and the fact that they'd be sending me a corrected bill, net thirty days.

Fair is fair. I would not complain if they accidentally forgot to charge me but I think my opinion is partially affected by the fact that I work in the (people) health care field and have to deal with a lot of people that feel that if we make a mistake, it totally negates their obligation to pay for the drugs they have received, even if they are worth thousands of dollars.

jobro47- did Dr. Khuly fire you at some point for your horrible negativity? I am just wondering where your bitterness and knowledge of the "total disregard for accurage work/lack of training/nonexistant work ethic in your staff" comes from.

I have to honestly say that I have never, in all my years of owning pets- been undercharged on my vet bill. Nor have I ever had charges accidentally omitted.

Incidentally, I was just at my vet with both my dogs for their yearly check-ups and other diagnostics. The total came to 339.69 for two small dogs. I went over the bill with a fine tooth comb when I got home. Everything was in order, including the charge for fecal testing, even though I haven't given them a stool sample for my female Boston yet.

Personally, I think most vet offices are right on the billing, doing quite an accurate and thorough job.

well I've been on the receiving end of being overcharged...office manager "happened" to catch it and posted a credit on my account. I've questioned two line items for "prep" for one procedure after the fact. I've also called the clinic back to say you didn't charge me for X. I like my vet. I know she gets terribly busy and doesn't complete all her charting but there is a tech/assistance present that is supposed to be transcribing the billing points. Having friends in the business (NOT at this clinic) I do ask if they notice. I also wonder when I go back if they "know" oh YOU shorted us or YOU were honest and called back. My friends say they are too busy to remember or keep tabs. But with everything having it's price I'd rather pay my share and not cover others "just in case."

This has happened to me before and I, perhaps being a bit obsessive-compulsive, always go back and report the under or overcharge. I have found that if it's a small amount it generally gets waived, a larger amount and I get thanked profusely. I truly believe that these small honesties get paid forward and are for the better good.
Patricia Moore
http://www.soft-hearted.com

THIS is just one of the reasons I tell my employees never to simply leave something off the bill because they want to give the client a break. First of all, that's MY call, not theirs, and second, it is much better to show the client the work that was done and let them know they are being given a break. Then, if there are disagreements later about whether your charges are "fair" or whether you are keeping proper track of your charges, etc., the record is much clearer. You don't need to be Scrooge, you can still be kindhearted - but when the client knows you have done them a good turn, and there's a business record showing it, you are less likely to get burned after being a good Joe.

Since this is a sticky and contentious issue, we have a policy regarding missed charges. An employee who misses the charge is to contact the owner and tell them their mistake and to collect payment. If the owner won't or doesn't pay it within a month, the assistant that missed the charge gets to. They've signed an agreement to that fact, and they RARELY miss charges. It works great.

I believe in paying for what I get. The hospital is a business and would not last very long if it gave out freebies. As it is,they have given me plenty of freebies, like not charging me full price for the moribund stray (probable lymphoma) who spent 3 days with them before finally dying. They also let me walk out of there without paying when I'm trying to juggle 3 cat carriers. So I never mind when the charges catch up with me.

This is not a vet issue. Once again, we are talking about a business issue.

Standard payment rules are that if one pays at the time of service, it is on the establishment to provide an accurate itemized list of services and goods rendered. If one pays via mail after receiving a mailed receipt, that's a different hill of beans, of course.

For example, if I go out to eat and the waitress forgets to put a drink on the bill, she's not going to be able to mail us a revised bill two days later. If a mechanic does work on my car and in the course he refills my washer fluid and rotates my tires, great. If he charges me, fine. If not, fine. However, once the business transaction is finished and I leave, that's it. Shame on you for not charging me the full amount.

As they say, it's the price of doing business. That's why a full list of services to be provided along with the said price should be in hand BEFORE any procedures. I know that's how my vet does it, as well as my local mechanic. I am schedule in the computer and the procedures are listed in the computer. If something extra comes up, well, that's handled, but it's easier to keep it in mind when the scheduled event/procedure is already listed and essentially invoiced before the customer even arrives.

I've been on both sides of the table (so to speak).
When errors are MY fault... I own up, and eat them...
I expect others to do likewise.
Granted, when you have a lot of people involved in your financial management it gets much harder - cracks DO seem to be everywhere!
I check every bill I receive to verify all charges, no mater WHERE I am. And, I'm not shy about inquiring about entries.
If charges have been discussed and cleared in advance, then there really should be no surprises.
Of couse, I'm always pleased to see a smaller bill than I expected, but even then, I query its validity:)

EAB, in your mechanics example, it sounds like you are saying that the mechanic is taking it upon him or herself to do work above and beyond what was agreed upon and in that case, no, I would not want to pay.

But if I knew what work my vet was doing, and got home and didn't see it listed on the bill, I would not feel like I got over on my vet and got a freebie. I would call and bring it to their attention. If they waived it, great but if not, I would have no problem paying what was owed to them fair and square.

This is mainly because I value my relationship with my vet (not implying anyone else doesn't) and I would not want to feel like they thought I was shady. I mean, even if they didn't call me, I would know they know I know...In all honesty, I am not sure how apt I would be to do this at another business....

I would not hesitate to make right a mistake in the bill because something done was overlooked in billing. Just a matter of fairness. Value was given and I need to pay.

What I object to is going to pay and finding I owe for something I do not want and was never discussed. Arbitrarily added on by the vet. The bill is all added up and printed, the extra things are already in a bag and packaged with labels applied with my name on them and I am now in the position of having to object and I feel like I am both the bad guy and resentful that I am being sold something using high pressure tactics. Now I have to say I don't want this dental stuff. I am not going to use it. I am not putting this on my cat's teeth daily, weekly, or whatever I'm supposed to do. Please take it off my bill. Take it out of the bag. Once I just paid for the bill as it was easier. I fumed about it after leaving, went back, returned it, and got a refund. I just think it is an unfair sales tactic. And it is snotty to imply I don't want the best for my cats if I'm not willing to use these chemicals I don't understand on my cats. I don't deserve the guilt trip.

I think my vet slips me discounts without telling me, sometimes does tell me (ie, "we'll do these two tests but I'm only going to charge for one"). If something were left off accidentally, I'm not sure I'd know. (Susanbt's point above echoed here, from the other side.)

But if it were an accident, and it were discovered within a couple of days, I wouldn't object to a phone call and having it tacked onto the bill. After all, if it were done when I was there, then I did agree to pay for it.

My example was that I left it open as to whether he meant to charge or not. As was explained further in another post, how do I know it's not complimentary? I think that once payment is made, and the customer is out the door, payment is final and that's that. Yes, let the buyer beware, but also let the business beware to collect what's due at the time of collection. As a consumer, I would hope I would go back and make it right or clarify, but if I don't, the business has no right to go back and ask for payment after the fact. It's just not customary to do so. If it happens so often that it's hurting the bottom line, then your office has a process issue that needs to be addressed.

If I provide a service, I like to get paid for it. I expect everyone else wanting to as well.

If a bank made a mistake, would I run to tell them? Perhaps ... They have enough money.

Unless my vet starts showing up for work in a private jet, I will tell him if I notice.

Would I notice? Well, our vet bills read like an epic. So the odds I'd notice that one item is missing from such a long list aren't the best.

Would I mind our vet calling me that they forgot to charge me $120? Wouldn't be impressed, but frankly, I'm just excited that our bills have reduced to three digit figures.

Everybody can make a mistake and as long as there isn't life at stake, let's just work it out with a smile.

(Note: any way we don't have to have these math Captchas? I hate math!)

Forgotten charges DO happen for a number of reasons and many of those reasons are valid. I do not believe we should call clients to let them know we forgot to charge them for a procedure. That cost is considered the price of our (the veterinary clinic staff) education. A couple of years ago, I did an analysis and realized that our clinic was missing about 25% of charges every day it was open for business. Discussed it with the vet/owner and he implemented a drastic but effective plan to eliminate excuses and identify valid reasons for missed charges.

When we miss a charge ("we" are the vet, technicians and admin) we enter the procedure on patient chart and adjust it to zero. Then the amount we failed to charge is split among the four of us and is payable each payday. It motivates us all to be more vigilant. It has been the ONLY effective method for stopping the missed charges at our clinic.

Sophie, I appreciate you being able to give an example of what I was attempting to say. The internal process issue must be identified and addressed. Many businesses do what you did which was make it effect the bottom line of the employee. That's motivation. But let me point out another concern as to why you are right to zero out the missed charge. If you go back to the customer and ask for an additional amount of money, regardless of the amount, you run a good chance if indicating that your business is not willing to pay for it's own mistakes, but that you are making mistakes in the first place.

It all comes down to attention to detail. If a business can't even keep track of it's own financial affairs, what other details are they missing. Imagine saying to a customer "we paid special attention to detail while servicing your animal and are 100% positive we missed absolutely nothing, but we're too inattentive to keep track of what we did long enough to get paid." What's it say.

This lesson was taught to us military vets in boot camp. "Why is folding a shirt, or making a bed, or scrubbing a floor so important that it must be done 100% correct and to a tight tolerance and attention to detail?" The lesson was if you can't fold a shirt or keep a bed neat and perfectly made, how can you be trusted with a steam engine or RADAR; or a pet's health?

I hesitated to comment because I found the whole scenario somewhat on the "fringe".

How is making a mistake at the "front desk" or where-ever it occurs in the chain comparable to "theft" at WalMart? Rather insulting, as if one has "run off" with "stolen goods".

Now if we are talking a mistake, pure & simple--either way? Or are we talking charges added after the fact?

Are we dealing with incompetence on a regular basis? What's the real deal?

Please don't compare idiocy with thievery~~Thanks EAB

The comments were not made in regards to what is right if the customer notices the missing item, but rather the business providing the service. My answer remains that if the business forgets to charge a customer and discovers the missing item after the fact the appropriate thing to do is eat it. That's what Walmart does, what a restaurant does, what every other business I can think of does; and for the reasons I specified previously.

What a customer does if they discover it is between them and their God. Frankly, yeah, I would go back and make it right, of course; and I think most decent people would, but that's not what this particular entry is dealing with.

The things I have read here are truly interesting. Thanks for sharing all of these information.

I love my vet but I watch my bills. My problem is the exact opposite... I have been overcharged countless times. However, only once was a procedure left off the bill and added later. It all works out but I do find it annoying to have to ask for the bill to be corrected. It makes me feel cheap but I am a multi dog owner so veterinary costs are a big expense for me and I cannot afford to pay even more than what I actually owe.

If either overcharging or undercharging are happening with any regularity, there is a problem with the procedure used and/or the staff doing the billing that needs to be fixed!